Handle construction for cartons and the like



June 2, 1953 A, E, BROWN 2,640,645

HANDLE CONSTRUCTION FOR CARTONS AND THE LIKE lllr wllllllllll, lll- HfTo RNE K5v sv j HANDLE CONSTRUCTION FOR CARTONS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 17, 1949 A. E. BROWN June 2, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 2, 1953 HANDLE CONSTRUCTION. non GAR-Tons AND THE LIKE Abner-.Elmore Brown, Richmond Heights, Mo. Application January' 17, 1949, iSerialiNoL 71,3%

`.11..C1ain1s. (011229-252) 1 ,The present invention relates'generally to th containerart, and 'more' particularly' to' a novel handle "member which is completely contained 'Within 'the' container prior toits use.

' Most 4`of the I"companies #which sell consumer goods,nparticularly` 'those inA thefood' industry,

endeavor to "induce the'public tofpurchase more than' one can, box, -bottle,` etc.; at' a time.r One method-of"accomplishing@ this is' bypackaging the 'goods "in: containers 'fWhich rholdf-:a plurality of items.

-fOne disadvantage of'packaged'purchasing from the' consume'rfsf standpoint; lhowevenxisz' the diffioiiltyof: carryingA thefpackages, :many of them |being heavy and' Otan: awkward shape. I 'Ilo' 'obxria'tethisldiflcultyrsumefof thecontain'ers Ainclude handlespbutmamyof these failV veryeasily due to a breaking or tearing of the containerfvad- `iaeent 1 the :handle andonce -a ycustomer 'has dzroppeci aicontainer'ibecausefofza faulty handle he 1amintenti'onally;iorvotherwise; .develops asales resistance to the product.

'I'Ilhefidi'ffi'cultyi op tying. the; package-f-With'- twine or rope is that it is a timeconsuming operation `andi-the .twine -orrrope `is 'hard-.onthe handsA of theone'carrying the'package.

o Itfis ian. obo'ectwofv the present invention, (thereyforato `provide a',novelihandle-oonstruction which rean' be safely.A used-With relatively. heavy. containvers Withoutffear of.'havingthe.handle-break or tear.' through normal. usage. J'Anotherf object is .to provide .a handle con- -struction Which-.is completely contained .Within theoontainerprior tofuse.

Another-object isl toprovide..a.novel handle fconstructionwhich is separate. froni'the container iandlwhich.canbeiinsertedinthe. container either ibefore ora-iter the goods `havebeen packed there- Y Af inotlier `object is toiprovide anovel handle' construotion which; has a relatively wide' hand-"engaging surface.

instruction. and ay container which 'includes-'a re- :movable portion; for use' therewith, 'whereby the handle can btbrought into an' operative" position A.after the removable portion.' hasbeen 'detached .fromtha container.

v :.ilnother'obj ectlis'.l to provide". a container' 'with e..a-conceald`rhand1e which v'villv complywith" the '2 shipping requirements 'of the"Interstate Commerce Commission.

Another object is to provide a novel handleconstructioni'whi'ch 'isA enclosed'in" a""paper envelope prior to tits" being; 'placed' in 'thecontainen "Another obj ect is to' provide a'nov'el' handle'construction," the 'handle portion 'of' which is' positively `prevented from being l' totally withdrawn 'from the container When 'in an^operative^posi tion.

"Another object is to4 provide a'novelhandle' construction which' can 'be-made ina 'single'f'standard size for use with containers fvariousfsizes.

` 'Further' objects" and` advantages 'ofA vthe'present invention Will be apparent;v from' 'the following fdescription, reference being' had' to the accompanying ldrawing wherein a preferredeembodi-ment of the' present inventionis shown,v lin'which:

^ Fig.' 1 isa topfplan view-f one fornr'of'-h`aniile member constructed in -"accordance *with the teachings "of the' present` invention, showing* lthe handlemeinber 'in'4 a flattenedpr-A unfolded position;

Fig.' Zisa top' plan'view ofthe handle'member afterv the portion' containing theopening has'been `folddpver ther'emainingportions;

Fig. 3'is1a -top'plan vvievv of the handle member after the 'otherrportionf has been folded-f over, 'showing' themernberready 4for use zizrav container;

f'lEig. Liis af side elevational veWf'ofUthe-"completely folded handlemernber;

` Fig. i 5' isf an enlargedV vertical lse'etional'tview taken'on the line 5LB in Figi.y 3;

LFig.' 6 is a fragmentary top'-plan'i'view*l on amontainer with the top flaps open and showingria 'handle member inserted*betweeniiahelicansfrand 'one wall ofthe container;

Fig." 7 is an endfview of: a-.sealed container showing the removable portion;

2Fig. S'fis the sameas'PF-ig.' '7l except thatfth'e por- 'tioni has "been removed, th'ereby exposing tithe handle for use;

"-Fig. 9is' anenlarged horizontal' sectional View taken onthe line-'949 ini-Fig. 8,showingf'ithe Fig 12 shows thehandlevmemberinserted'fiira paperenve'lop'e'prior to its beinginsertednto a container;

' "Fig, lfis` av top plan'vievv of'a'modiiied'form'of handle member showing it in a flattened or inoperative position;

Fig. 14 is an enlargedfragmentary horizontal sectional view of a container showing the modiied form of handle member in a container, in the inoperative position; and

Fig. 15 is the same as Fig. 14 except that the handle has been pulled into the operative position.

Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numerals, specifically Figs. 1 through 11, I6 indi-Cates generally a handle member for use with a container I8, both of which are constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.`

The handle member I6 is preferably made in one piece from a rectangular shaped sheet of cardboard or like material because of the consideration of cost, but manifestly it could be made of a stronger and more expensive material, or in separate parts if necessary or desirable.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the handle member i6 comprises a handle section 20 and elongated support sections 22 and 24 formed integral with the ends thereof which, for the purpose of description, will be referred to as the left-hand and right-hand support sections, respectively. The left-hand support section 22 has an inner edge 26 and an outer edge 28, and the right-hand support section 24 has an inner edge 3l) and an outer edge 32.

In forming the handle section 20, the ends are cut into the inner edges 26 and 30 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The handle section is formed in the shape shown in Fig. 1, with the ends of the handle member wider than the center portion primarily for two reasons: first, because it permits the handle member I6 to be formed more economically and, secondly, because the wider ends provide additional strength.

A rectangular shaped opening 34 is contained in the right-hand support section 24 and has transverse edges 36 and 38 and longitudinal edges ..40 and 42. The length of the opening 34 is -so as to divide each section into outer and inner portions.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the handle member i6 is made ready for use with the container I8 by rst folding the outer portion of the right-hand support section 24 over the handle section 20, whereby the latter is disposed across the opening 34. It will be noted that in this position the transverse edge 36 of the opening 34 coincides with one end of the handle section 20 and the outer edge 32 of the support section 24 extends a short distance beyond the other end of the handle section. The outer portion of the left-hand support section 22 is then folded over so that its edge 28 overlaps the edge 32 of the right-hand support section and coincides with the other end of the handle section 20, as shown in Fig. 3.

The container I8 is shown filled with cans C solely for the purpose of illustration, and it `is to be understood that the teachings of the present invention can be applied to containers the stationary end of it to the wall, etc.

for bottles, boxes, wearing apparel, etc. The container I 8 is of ordinary construction with one exception, and includes a side wall 48 and top naps F. The only diierence between the instant container and the regular ones is that the side wall 48 of the former contains a portion 56 which is adapted to be removed.

The `removable portion 50 is preferably rectangular shaped with square-cut ends 52 and 54, the distance between the ends being slightly greater than the distance between the edges 28 and 36 when the handle is in the operative position. The removability feature can be achieved in several ways, but the preferred construction is to perforate the outline of the portion 50 except for the ends 52 and 54 which are cut all the way through. This construction permits a user to insert a finger or an elongated instrument under either edge and easily tear out the entire portion 50.

In use, the handle member I6 is inserted vin the container I8 between the cans C and the wall 48 after the cans have been loaded therein, the rectangular shaped opening 34 being adjacent the removable portion 50. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the length and width of the flat#` tened, folded handle member I6 is approximately the same as the interior dimensions of the container i8 so that the opening 34 is automatically in alignment with the perforated portion 50. If. it is desirable to use the handle with a very large container, the handle member i6 can be positioned by using false walls, by fastening Thus it is apparent that a single standard size handle member can be used with containers of various sizes.

After the handle member I6 has been inserted, the naps F are closed, thereby sealing the cans C within the container. Because there are no openings, as such, in the container, it complies with the shipping requirements of the Interstate Commerce Commission.

When the customer in a retail store has de,- cided to purchase the contents of the container i8, she or the clerk merely inserts one finger through either the slot 52 or 54 cut in the wall 48 and tears out the removable portion 5D. This exposes the handle section 20, as shown in Fig. 8, and, by inserting the thumb and forefinger into the spaces on either side of the handle section 20, it can be pulled upwardly into the operative position, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

When the handle section 20 is pulled upwardly, the folded left-hand support section 22 is pulled inwardly over the folded or outer portion of the right-hand support section 24. This movement continues until the inner edges 26 and 30- of the support sections abut. At the Asame time that this occurs, the outer edge 32 willalso abut the left-hand support section 22 at the fold line 44, as shown in Fig. 10. Thus there are two independently operative means limiting the movement of the support sections toward each other.

It will be noted that in the operative position, as shown in Fig. 10, the edge 36 coincides with one end of the handle section2ll and the edge 28 coincides with the other end, so that in order for the handle to tear longitudinally it would be necessary to tear through two thicknesses of the material. Also, the central portion of the handle section 20 is narrow enough to permit comfortable carrying of the container, and the widened a container having a removable portion in one Wall thereof, comprising a at envelope-like enclosure containing an opening in one face thereof; and a handle member disposed in said en closure with the handle exposed in the opening,

' whereby when the package is disposed in the container adjacent the removable portion, the handle will be available for use when the portion is removed.

8. A device of the type described, comprising a handle portion; and a guide portion hinged to the handle portion at one end and adapted to be folded over on top of it, the guide portion containing an opening therein; the handle portion including a relatively narrow handle section in alignment with the opening, and a relatively Wide support section secured to at least one end of the handle section, the support section being of a size to prevent said end of the handle section from being totally Withdrawn through the openmg.

9. A device of the type described, comprising a handle portion; and a guide portion hinged to the handle portion at one end and adapted to be folded over on top of it, the guide portion containing an opening therein; the handle portion including an elongated exible handle section in alignment with the opening, support sections at the ends of the handle sections which are drawn together' when the handle section is pulled through the opening, and means limiting the relative movement of the support sections.

10. A device of the type described, comprising a handle portion; and a guide portion hinged to the handle portion at one end and adapted to be folded over on top of it, the guide portion containing an opening therein; the handle portion including an elongated exible handle section in alignment with the opening, and support sections at the ends of the handle section, the support sections containing inwardly projecting elements which abut to limit the relative movement of the support sections toward each other when the handle section is pulled through the opening into an operative position.

11. A device of the type described, comprising a handle portion; and a guide portion hinged to the handle portion at one end and adapted to be folded over on top of it, the guide portion containing an opening therein; the handle portion including an elongated flexible handle section in alignment with the opening, and support sections formed integral with the ends of the handle section, each of said support sections including a transverse portion and a pair of leg portions extending normal thereto, the leg portions being disposed on each side of the handle section Whereby the ends of opposed leg portions abut to limit the relative movement of the support sections when the handle section is pulled through the opening into an operative position.

ABNER ELMORE BROWN.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,039,619 Webb Sept. 24, 1912 1,194,172 Harbeck Aug. 8, 1916 1,882,524 Sherman Oct. 11, 1932 1,971,197 Ottinger Aug. 21, 1934 1,979,917 Vaughn Nov. 6, 1934 2,002,485 Alfred May 28, 1935 2,019,307 Hill et al Oct. 29, 1935 2,128,723 Zettler Aug. 30, 1938 2,148,439 Crawford Feb. 28, 1939 2,258,582 Berg, Jr. Oct. 14, 1941 2,290,971 King July 28, 1942 2,335,115 Gresser Nov. 23, 1943 r2,355,313 Lurie Aug, 8, 1944 2,365,887 Lind Dec. 26, 1944 2,482,399 Bullock Sept. 20, 1949 2,551,679 Johnson May 8, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 450,672 France Jan. 25, 1913 

